Clearly Unbothered by Wealthy PNG Chiefs

Ivan Cleary Remains Calm Amid Potential PNG Chiefs Recruitment Challenge

Ivan Cleary, the coach of the Penrith Panthers, is maintaining a composed attitude despite the looming threat of the PNG Chiefs attempting to lure nine of the club’s top players away for their inaugural 2028 season. While he acknowledges that the next six months will be crucial in negotiations, Cleary remains confident in the team’s ability to handle the situation.

The recent signing of Wests Tigers co-captain Jarome Luai by the Chiefs has raised concerns about the expansion side’s ability to attract elite talent. However, this move has proven otherwise. Cleary admitted he was taken aback by the news but praised Luai’s decision as “a really courageous choice.”

Seven of the starting players from Penrith’s round-nine team against Manly are without contracts beyond 2027, and many of them have close ties with Luai, who spent four years at the club before his move. Additionally, injured premiership winners Liam Martin and Mitch Kenny are also uncontracted beyond next season.

Over the years, the Panthers have become accustomed to losing key players as part of their success. Players like Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau, James Fisher-Harris, and even Luai himself have left since 2020. Despite these departures, the club has managed to re-sign several stars, including Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Brian To’o, and Liam Martin.

When asked if he was worried about his players following Luai to the Chiefs, Cleary remained nonchalant. “Not really, no,” he said. “We’re comfortable with what we’ve built here at Panthers. We’ve lost players that we’ve wanted to keep for many, many years. It’s sort of just part of what happens when you’re successful.”

He also expressed confidence that the situation would resolve itself. “It’ll work itself out, I’m really confident about that.”

Cleary was equally unfazed by recent comments from Penrith’s most capped player, Isaah Yeo, who suggested that he and other Panthers might test the market for 2028. “They’ve earned that right. Just because they said that doesn’t mean they’re leaving,” Cleary said. “It’d be very hard for all of our boys to leave here. But the reality is it can happen. We’re experienced in this caper.”

Luai’s deal with the Chiefs was possible because he had not yet triggered his contract option to stay with the Tigers for 2027, making him a free agent. However, no Penrith player has a contract option that allows them to negotiate with the Chiefs before November. This gives the Panthers exclusive access to their players coming out of contract until then, including co-captains Ivan Cleary and Yeo.

“I feel like it’s lucky we’ve got six months because we’ll probably need it,” Cleary said. “It’s not easy when you look at the list and go, ‘we want all of them.’ We’ll just start chipping away at it. We’ve got a couple of guys that are off contract this year that are probably the bigger priority. It’s a long process where there’s lots of people involved.”